Misunderstandings
by Ninja of Thunder
Summary: Vernon is drunk and beating Harry. Harry defends himself with magic and gets suspended for underage magic. He leaves his home and lives on his own. When he goes to Diagon Alley, he meets a familiar blonde. Just how will this turn out? DracoXHarry
1. Expelled

Me: Yo! So I currently have a free period so since I have nothing better to do, I'm going to start a new story!

Lightning: Nothing better to do? Don't you have finals next week?

Me: Yes, yes I do!

Lightning: Then shouldn't you be studying?

Me: I should, but I just don't feel like it.

Shadow: Love your dedication to school. . .

Me: I'm just here to kill time until I publish my book.

Lightning: You're writing an actual book, yet you waste time on fanfiction?

Me: Shut up! I like screwing up other people's storylines! Anywho, enough rambling, on with the story!

_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Harry Potter, Hogwarts, magic, blah, blah, blah. . .

Me: Oh, btw, this story takes place before Harry's second year. As in before Dobby comes in.

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Harry stumbled as he tried to get away. Vernon Dursley was right behind him, following with a drunken swagger with the sole intent of causing Harry as much pain as possible. Harry panted as he rounded a corner, not daring to stop even for a moment to catch his breath. Harry felt himself gasp in pure shock and terror. He had reached a dead end. He turned his back to the wall as he heard a set of shuffling footsteps behind him. He turned and beheld the source of all his fear.

Vernon Dursley stood blocking the only exit still available to Harry. His face was flushed with the alcohol he had consumed that night and his bloodshot eyes rested right on Harry. With slow, deliberate footsteps Vernon approached Harry as he cowered against the wall, desperately hoping for an escape. When he was just a few short feet away, Harry could smell the alcohol on his uncle's breath. He slowly raised his right hand and Harry knew that what was coming next would not be pleasant.

In a last desperate attempt at freedom, Harry ducked under his uncle's arm and ran. In a wild rush of panic, Harry imagined that he now knew what it felt like to be a hunted animal. Harry could still hear his uncle following him and suddenly, he had a crazy idea. He quickly changed his course and ran for the old cupboard that he used to call home. As he struggled to unlock the door, he heard dishes breaking in the kitchen. Not long now. Harry struggled against the door with ever increasing vigor until finally, it opened and Harry ducked inside just as his uncle came into sight.

Harry fell to his knees on the floor, searching for his final hope. His wand. It was here, he knew it was. Then, with a sudden ferocity, Harry felt a powerful impact on the back of his head. No. Not now. Not when he was so close to salvation. Harry reached out his arms to search through the piles of magical equipment even as he felt a vicious kick in his side. Harry rolled over from the impact and nearly blacked out from pain. Yet he still kept going. He tried to crawl away, to buy himself just enough time to open his school trunk. But it seemed that was a lost cause. As Harry's fingertips brushed the trunk, he felt a blow to his neck and he gasped in pain as his breath whooshed out of him. A blurry haze seemed to go over the entire world, and Harry realized his vision was failing him. Empowered by his own desperate fear, Harry opened the trunk and blindly groped inside until his fingers closed around his wand.

As Harry pulled his wand out, another blow hit his side and with growing dread, Harry heard his bones cracking. The world exploded into a vortex of pain. There was no longer peace or mercy. Only acting and reacting. Cruelty and innocence. As Harry felt his vision go black, he lashed out with his last hope. He waved his wand arm and screamed an unintelligible spell that even later he could not remember. As a flash of blue light left his wand, Harry felt the world dissolving around him and he fell to the ground unconscious, his wand dropping from his trembling hand.

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Pain. Hatred. Anger. Fear. All feeling had dissolved from Harry's limbs leaving him with nothing but these writhing sensations. Harry tried to open his eyes, but when he tried, all he could see was black. He couldn't distinctly hear or see anything outside of his own consciousness. He dimly remembered blacking out. He wondered what had happened. Was he dead? No. He couldn't be. Death wasn't supposed to be this painful. Death was meant to be peaceful.

Then, the memories started flooding back. He remembered running in terror as he heard the sounds of clumsy pursuit behind him. He remembered realizing he only had one chance. He remembered giving everything he had, all his strength and determination, in his desperate flight for his life. He remembered it all vividly, the scenes playing over and over in his mind. Finally, Harry forced himself conscious again and beheld a single barn owl resting at his side. Next to him, Vernon Dursley still lay in a drunken stupor.

The owl nipped at Harry's hand in impatience as it waited for Harry to take the Ministry letter bound to its leg. Harry felt his heart beat faster as he realized that he would be expelled. Reluctantly, Harry untied the letter from the owl and broke the seal with trembling hands.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_As you know, underage magic is not permitted unless the student is in school. We have been informed that-_

Harry read no further. He ripped the letter in half as tears streamed down his face. He would never be allowed back to Hogwarts, but he refused to stay in this hell house. His mind resolute, Harry stuffed the letter into his pocket and set about packing his belongings. He would write his own life story now. Dragging his heavy trunk with him, Harry left the house for the final time. The last thing he ever did there was burn the letter that had destroyed his life. Harry breathed in the calm night air and rejoiced in his bittersweet freedom.

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Me: Yo! So what do you think? Sorry if it's a little off but it's been a while since I read Harry Potter. I know bad Thunder!

Shadow: You really should have reread the book first to avoid an epic fail. . .

Me: Shut up! So anywho- review plz! And no flames!

Shadow: All flames will be given to me to roast marshmallows!

Me: Crap! My teacher just said we have a bio test tomorrow!

Lightning: That's what you get for not paying attention!

Me: Well sorry fanfiction is more important to me. . .


	2. What Now?

Me: Yo! So I'm sorry about the horribly long delay but technology hates me and my computer thinks it has to break every time I update a story. . .

Shadow: Ha! Loser!

Me: Shut up! Your computer crashed this summer too!

Shadow: Oh yeah . . . damn technology. . .

Me: So on with the story!

_**Disclaimer**_: Ya, disclaimer. As in I do not own Harry Potter and never will.

Lightning: You owning Harry Potter is a scary thought indeed.

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Harry sat alone on an empty park bench in the middle of the night. Next to him, Hedwig stared at him with a single unblinking eye. Thinking back on it, it had been a really stupid idea to randomly abandon the 'safety' of a house in the middle of the night without any sort of plan when there were surely ministry officials conducting a search for him so they could take away his wand. Definitely not his best idea. Well it was too late to do anything about it now. Harry took a deep breath and leaned back against the rough wood while he examined his options.

He could try to get into a different wizarding school. Well except for the fact that he had no idea how he would do this without tipping off the ministry to his whereabouts. Stupid idea. He could live on his own in the streets of London. Ok that was even stupider. He would only end up getting himself killed or mugged or something. Well there were always the Weasleys. No, that wouldn't work either. Mr. Weasley worked for the ministry and Harry didn't want them to know he was now a rogue wizard anyway. How was he supposed to find somewhere to live without the wrong people finding out about it? Unless. . .

Harry grinned as his long awaited plan finally came to him. It wasn't a perfect plan, but what other choice did he have given the circumstances? He knew the one place he could stay where he could trust the owners not to give him away. He quickly stood up and gathered his belongings. He gazed at his wand for a second and then shrugged. _'Why not?' _And with that thought, Harry waved his wand and felt his possessions lose their weight as they became as light as feathers. When that was done, Harry took out his trusty Nimbus 2000 broomstick and mounted it. He laughed shrilly with an edge of hysteria as he felt the wind against his face. He had never felt so free, or so afraid, as he did now as he set off toward his uncertain future.

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Just before noon the next day, Harry landed in an alley a short distance away from the Leaky Cauldron. Once his belongings were stowed away in his trunk, Harry pulled it after him as he walked to the shabby pub. He ignored the stares of the passing Muggles as he felt his gut clench in anticipation and anxiety. Now that he was here, Harry realized how much of a long shot this really was. Even if Tom kept his secret, what about the other guests? Would they? Harry swallowed his fears as he entered the dimly lit pub. He spotted Tom behind the counter, pouring out goblets full of Butterbeer for the guests seated there. Tom nodded at Harry when he saw him, an enigmatic smile on his face. If he was surprised to see Harry there, he didn't show it.

Harry waited until Tom had taken care of his customers before he approached him. Once he was sure no one was close enough to hear him, Harry made his request.

"Do you have an extra room I could rent?"

"For how long Mr. Potter?"

Harry faltered; he had not anticipated this question. Thinking quickly he replied, "As long as possible sir."

Now, Tom did look surprised. He didn't pursue the subject however and instead replied, "Well the room will cost 10 Galleons per night."

Harry pulled out what money he had left from the year before and counted 17 Galleons, 6 Sickles, and 23 Knuts. Good. He had enough for the night and just a short walk away was Diagon Alley where he could get what else he needed from Gringotts. Satisfied, Harry handed over the 10 Galleons needed for the night and promised Tom more payment as soon as he got it.

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After Harry was led to his room and had put away his belongings, he set out for Gringotts. Harry tapped the third brink from the left above the trash can with his wand and waited as the magical barrier hiding Diagon Alley disappeared. Harry then headed toward the wizard bank. Upon arriving, Harry strode straight to the goblin who was taking requests for withdrawals. Harry waited in line and when it was his turn asked the goblin to bring him to his vault.

"I'm sorry Mr. Potter," the goblin replied. "Mr. Dumbledore has not authorized a withdrawal from that particular vault today."

"What are you talking about?"

"Mr. Dumbledore has taken it upon himself to regulate the amount of money that can be removed from that vault on any particular day."

"What? Why? It isn't his gold!"

"Yes, but due to the fact that the vault in question belongs to an underage wizard, it must be regulated by someone."

Harry scowled. Stupid laws. Was the whole world out to get him or something? What was he supposed to do now? He didn't have the money for another night in the Leaky Cauldron. While Harry meditated on his options, he allowed himself to walk aimlessly just to give him something to do. He was surprised when he looked up and saw himself standing in Knockturn Alley in front of a store. The sign read Borgin and Burkes and in the window, there was a help wanted sign. Harry quickly walked into the store where he saw a man standing by a table, dusting off sinister looking merchandise.

"Um. . .Mr. Borgin?" Harry asked uncertainly. Now that he was in here, he realized how stupid it would sound when a twelve year old boy asked for a job in a store full of dark artifacts.

"What do you want kid?"

"Um. . .well, I saw the sign on the door and-"

"So you want the job? Hm. . ." Harry saw Borgin's eyes take in his appearance before they flicked up to his scar. He seemed to be pondering his response. Harry shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny. "Fine, you got the job kid."

"Really?" Harry asked in wonder.

"Yes, just don't expect any benefits. Just because the ministry took away the house elf that used to work here doesn't mean I won't work you like one."

Harry shivered when he thought of what may have caused the ministry to take away someone else's house elf. Ron had told him about house elves and he knew that they were treated as slaves by most wizards.

"When do I start?" Harry asked once he found his voice again.

"Tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. and don't be late."

"Will I get paid tomorrow?"

"No. You will be paid in two weeks if you do a good job."

Harry felt his heart sink as he wondered where he was supposed to live for the next two weeks. Without another word, Harry turned and walked out of the shop. Once outside, he saw the one person he least wanted to see (with the exception of the minister himself). Draco Malfoy. Before Harry could move any farther, Draco turned and saw him there. His eyes narrowed maliciously.

"And what are you doing here, Potter?"

"Leave me alone Malfoy." Harry replied as he tried to walk away. He took one step and found his way blocked by Malfoy.

"I asked you a question, Potter."

"And I told you to leave me alone." Harry felt his anger rising as he struggled to get by his blonde enemy. A second later, it seemed to register in Malfoy's mind where exactly he had come from.

"What were you doing in Borgin and Burkes, Potter? It's not like you need anything in there."

"Actually, I work there!"

Malfoy looked surprised at this revelation. He quickly rearranged his features into an expression of sneering disbelief.

"As if anyone would hire you there, Potter."

"Well they did. Now if you'd be so kind as to leave me alone, I have to find a place to live for the next two weeks."

With these words, Harry began to walk away from Malfoy, only to stop when he heard the last thing he'd expected to come out of Malfoy's mouth.

"You can stay with me Potter."

Harry stood frozen with surprise.

"What?"

"You heard me. You can stay with me."

Harry turned around with a suspicious glint in his eyes.

"What's in it for you?"

"Nothing. Except. . ." at this point Malfoy's lips curled into a malicious smile.

"Except what?" Harry asked, genuinely annoyed now.

"Except you can only stay if you get me discounts on whatever I want from the store. After all, you _do_ work there don't you? It shouldn't be a problem for the Boy who Lived to get a simple discount from his place of employment."

Harry innerly cursed Malfoy as he realized this was his only option. He would worry about the conditions later. For now, he had no choice.

"Fine. Come and get me tomorrow after work. I'll owl you when its time."

"You have yourself a deal Potter."

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Me: So there you go! Harry has a job and now he has a place to stay as well! What could possibly go wrong?

Shadow: With you writing this, everything.

Me: Be nice! I worked hard on this! Speaking of working hard, you should review as a reward for my wasted time I could have spent doing my Skalski homework!

Shadow: Shoot! I should do that!

Me: Ya. Its due next week and I still have to outline two more chapters and answer 39 essay questions. So ya- review!

Shadow: All flames will be given to me to roast marshmallows!


	3. Long Night

Me: Sup! So, sorry for the long delay. . .AP and sports kinda ruined my life for a while. . .

Shadow: A while? It's been what? 8 months since you updated?

Me: Heh- yeah kinda. . . I'll try to be better about updating now that AP is over though. . .

Shadow: Awesome! Update your kh fic next, I actually like that one!

Me: Thanks. . .I think. . .Anywho, on with the long-overdue chappy!

_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Harry Potter. I don't have the awesome British-ness for that. . .

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Harry sighed, annoyed at everything as he swept the floor at Borgin and Burkes. He had known when he took the job that it would be hard work. What de didn't know was that his job would consist of sweeping, dusting, shelving, inventory, cooking, scrubbing, mopping, accounting, and many other tasks. He even had to run all the way to Diagon Alley to buy Borgin his daily butterbeers! And to top it all off, he wasn't even allowed to use magic! Borgin had said it was something about learning "responsibility" and "respecting his elders" and "learning valuable life lessons". Personally, Harry thought Borgin was a sadistic psychopath who got enjoyment out of causing as much strife and conflict as possible for anyone who didn't buy something. This opinion was later supported when Borgin remarked to an elderly witch who entered his store that he was surprised she could see past all the wrinkles in her face after she looked at his merchandise for 20 minutes without pulling out any money. Needless to say that witch had had some choice words for Borgin, some of which Harry planned on sharing with Malfoy later that day.

'_Damn." _Harry thought. _'I was hoping I could forget about that.'_

With another sigh, Harry placed the broom against the wall so he could send Malfoy his owl letting him know when he got off work. As Harry trudged toward the window in the back of the store, he heard the cheerful voice of Borgin himself.

"Hey boy! Where do you think you're going?"

"Um. . .to send an owl to a friend. . ." Harry replied, almost choking when the word "friend" came out of his mouth in reference to Malfoy.

"I told you yesterday boy! No benefits for this job! I will not lose money because of your lazy ass!"

"But I just need to-"

"I don't want to hear it! Now get back to work!" Borgin yelled again as he moved closer to Harry, raising his fist along the way. Harry flinched as he recalled similar scenes in the Dursley's house.

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_Rain pelted the house as a 7 year old Harry heard the unmistakable sound of breaking glass outside his cupboard bedroom. Harry felt his heartbeat speed up in terror. He knew what was coming. It always came right after something broke. Sure enough, Harry saw the door of his cupboard shake as two fists pummeled the already cracked wood._

_Harry backed away from the door as he heard the metal lock jiggling. Of course. Even drunk, his uncle could eventually figure out how to work a door. Harry shook as Vernon Dursley entered the small space. Harry tried to make himself as small as possible only to tense up as he felt his back hit the wall. A feral snarl spread across Vernon's face as he reached one large hand into the room and yanked Harry out by his hair._

_Harry yelped as he crashed into the wall across from his one safe haven. Before it could even register in his mind that he was no longer in his "room", Harry found himself lying on the floor, already bleeding from the back of his head. The beating commenced. Harry saw nothing but spots of red and yellow as he was blinded from sheer pain. Soon enough, his whole world turned black._

_Harry woke up in a pool of his own blood. As he tried to stand, spots appeared once again in front of his eyes and he collapsed on the ground dizzy with exhaustion and pain. Harry curled into a ball and did the only thing he could from his position: cry. The tears always came. No matter how much he tried to repress them, they always came._

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No sooner had Borgin raised his fist than he lowered it.

"Ah. . .Forget it. . .You're not even worth it. . .Just get back to work. . ."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. He had been sure he was going to experience the mind-numbing pain yet again. Harry sent one last forlorn glance at the window near the cages where Borgin's owls were kept before slowly trudging back to his "job" or as Harry put it "the child labor law infringement".

A few hours later, through all the verbal abuse and physical labor, Harry was done with his first day of school. Now was the problem of getting to the Malfoy mansion. Every time he had tried to send an owl to Draco, Harry had been caught and had experienced an ungodly amount of threats in exchange if he didn't get back to work. Harry quickly slid into the back room of Borgin's shop and quickly sent off the owl.

_'Ha! Now that I'm off the clock, Borgin can't do anything about it!' _Harry gloated to himself. He was wrong. As he walked out of the room, he heard what had somehow become a very familiar voice in the course of eight hours.

"What do you think you were doing back there boy!"

Harry flinched. How did this guy always seem to know where he was and what he was doing? Borgin had even remarked at one point that Harry wasn't being paid to take breaks when he had taken just a moment to stretch from his mopping. And Borgin hadn't even been in the shop when he did it! He had been outside trying to get people to enter the shop while Harry was behind the counter!

"Uh. . ." Harry replied.

"You're pathetic! I hired you out of the goodness of my heart! I have given you way more than you deserve as a new employee and all you do is take advantage of my charity!"

Harry had to restrain himself from raising an eyebrow in skepticism. This guy was unbelievable.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you are planning a takeover of my shop back there with your little friends! Well guess what you little twerp! You can't do it! This shop is unconquerable! No snot nosed little brat can take this shop! Not while I'm here! Now if I see you back there again, you're fired!"

Harry's mouth was open in astonishment. This guy was officially insane. Not only was he convinced that he was a good guy, but now he thought a twelve-year-old kid was planning a coup d'état with the purpose of taking over a shop full of dark artifacts they didn't even know how to use. Shaking his head Harry strode past Borgin on his way out of the shop.

"Hey! Don't you dare walk out on me! I know what you're planning! Just wait until tomorrow! I can guarantee you will wish you'd never been born!"

Harry shivered in dread. He already wished he'd never been born. If only for the reason he was currently working for a crazy old man who didn't know right from left, was forced to live with his worst enemy, had been expelled from the best school in the world, had no friends, and to top it all off he was still broke. Life currently sucked.

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Harry tapped his foot impatiently as he waited outside Flourish and Blotts. Where was that blonde bastard? Harry had told him to be here 20 minutes ago! Harry groaned and turned around, punching the wall in impatience. Finally, after another 30 minutes had passed, Draco walked up to Harry.

"Potter." He said. Harry felt his anger rise even more. He was 50 minutes late and all he had to say for himself was 'Potter'?

"Where have you been!" Harry demanded, his green eyes narrowed in irritation.

"Calm down Potter. Something important came up. . ." the blonde replied examining his fingernails disinterestedly.

"What came up?" Harry asked, purely bewildered and (although he would never admit it) a little bit interested as well.

"My house elf didn't fold my socks properly"

Harry had to restrain himself from smacking himself in the forehead or, even better, strangling that arrogant prick until he was gasping for air.

"Ugh! Never mind. Let's just go. . ."

Before Harry could follow his own advice however, he heard an unfamiliar voice behind him.

"HARRY POTTER! DEAR GOD! IT'S HARRY POTTER!"

Harry felt himself immediately freeze from shock. No. It couldn't be. The Ministry couldn't have found him! When Harry felt a hand grasp his shoulder and turn him around to face the source of the voice, however, he saw someone he definitely hadn't expected to see. It was not a scary, hostile wizard glaring at him, but a handsome, blonde, smiling wizard who looked anything but disappointed to see him.

"HARRY POTTER! I MUST SAY IT'S A PLEASURE TO FINALLY MEET YOU!"

"Ummm. . .thanks. . ." Harry asked, unsure of this reception although admittedly, he was used to random people he'd never seen before knowing who he was.

"AND OF COURSE YOU KNOW WHO _I_ AM! AFTER ALL, WHO DOESN'T?"

"Uhhh. . .sorry, I don't know who you are. . ." Harry relied, slightly annoyed by this mystery wizard's arrogance.

"WHAT? DEAR GOD, MY BOY, HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW? I'M GILDORY LOCKHART! AUTHOR, TEACHER, PROTECTOR FROM THE DARK ARTS EXTRAORDINAIRE, AND FIVE-TIME WINNER OF WITCH WEEKLY'S MOST DAZZLING SMILE AWARD!"

Harry blinked. Did this guy _ever_ speak in a normal tone? Why was he shouting everything he said? If he didn't calm down, surely the ministry would catch him. Maybe if he pretended to know what Lockhart was talking about, he'd go away. Operation Ditch the Creepy Dude was a go.

"That was you?"

"WHY YES, I KNEW YOU'D HEARD OF ME! AFTER ALL, I'M THE ONE WHO KILLED THAT VAMPIRE IN TRANSLYVANIA!"

"And that werewolf in Scandinavia?"

"WHY YES MY BOY! YOU SEE? YOU _DO_ KNOW WHO I AM!" With that said, Lockhart turned back toward Flourish and Blotts.

_'Thank God.'_ Harry thought. _'He's leaving!'_

"WITCHES AND WIZARDS! I WOULD LIKE TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TOWARDS MYSELF AND MY NEW YOUNG FRIEND, HARRY POTTER!"

Harry blanched. He did NOT just do that! No way. Harry quickly turned and ran the other way, grabbing a smirking Malfoy's hand on the way as dozens of heads started to turn in his direction.

"WAIT! I WAS GOING TO GIVE YOU FREE BOOKS! DON'T GO!"

Harry continued to hear Lockhart's affronted and flabbergasted voice until he and Draco were far enough away that his cries faded into oblivion.

"God, Potter, you can't even go home from work without having to show off can you?" Draco sneered once Harry had finally ceased sprinting.

"I didn't ask for that Malfoy!" Harry replied, annoyed and taken aback that Draco truly considered him an arrogant bastard who sought out attention. Sure, he expected that opinion from Snape, but somehow he had considered Draco different. Maybe because they actually somewhat knew one another from all their arguments and fights the previous year. Maybe just because Harry didn't want Draco to have been right about him when they met. Possibly even because Harry considered him to be more of a friend now that he was staying with him. Wait. Scratch that. He would NEVER be friends with Draco Malfoy. Not if they were the last two people on earth and Draco was actually civil to him. Not even then. It must have been because of the rivalry that Harry was offended. Harry was drawn out of his thoughts by Draco's aggravated voice.

"Sure Potter, I saw the way you were milking that attention.'_That was you?' 'How about that werewolf?'_ If you didn't want the attention, Potter, why the sudden interest?"

"Because I thought that maybe if I buttered him up, we could leave!"

"Psh- sure. . . As if a bastard like that would fall for something so stupid. . ."

"I was kind of surprised that I was right about the werewolf. . ."

"Because he never did it! The only werewolf he probably knows is the one hanging on the wall of the Hog's Head! He would take credit for anything and you played right into his little game!"

Harry's opened and closed his mouth in fury. That _did_ make sense, but _not_ if it proved Malfoy right! He refused to lose to the little prick, although at the same time he couldn't think of a comeback for the life of him.

"Whatever. . .let's just go. . ." Harry said as he turned away from Malfoy, arms crossed across his chest.

"Whatever you say your majesty. . ." Draco responded with a smirk, knowing he had won.

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"Well what now genius?" Harry asked the blonde scornfully. He should have known. He should have guessed that the aristocratic idiot wouldn't have had the mental capacity to realize that Harry Potter, the boy who lived, couldn't just waltz into the home of a loyal death eater unless he was chained or decapitated.

"Well I figured since I'm ensuring you don't die on the streets, _you_ would be responsible enough to figure out this dilemma for yourself. But then again, how could I ever think a pathetic _Gryffindor _would figure that out." Malfoy replied with a smirk.

Harry clenched his jaw in anger at that comment. _'No, I need him. I can't kill him. . ._yet_.'_

"Well anyway, I'll see you when you get inside. . .That is, _if_ you get inside. My room is right there." Malfoy explained, pointing toward a window towards the top of the manor as he began to walk to the front door of his house. Harry swore to himself as he glanced up at the window.

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_'This just might be the worst idea I've ever had. . .'_ Harry found himself thinking. After Draco had oh-so-kindly abandoned him outside his manor, Harry had wasted about 20 minutes staring at the house trying to figure out how he could possibly get inside. Finally he had come up with the only logical explanation: climbing. Unfortunately for Harry, Draco's room was not only on the highest floor of the manor, but it was also surrounded by nothing even resembling footholds and handholds except for a few scattered vines of ivy and even those hadn't looked to stable.

Harry was now reduced to a panicky, apprehensive mess with little to no hope for surviving the night. Harry gasped as the vine he was currently clutching for dear life began to give way and struggled not to cry out in despair as he felt his body sinking ever lower toward the ground. Hands shaking, Harry reached out and grabbed a new vine just seconds before his previous one tore free of the side of the house.

Harry glanced down toward where the vine had fallen and quickly looked back up before he lost his lunch. It was a long way down and the vine was swinging violently back and forth as if mocking him to just _try _and make his way up the side of the manor in one piece. To distract himself from his thoughts of death-by-falling-miserably-to-his-doom, Harry distracted himself by looking up and sighed in relief as he saw the window was nearly in reach. Bracing himself, Harry continued his upward ascent.

Within minutes, Harry was outside Draco's window, gasping for air and knocking softly on his window so as not to draw any unwanted attention to himself. Soon, the window was opened by a scowling Draco. Draco glanced at the still-panting boy outside his window and his mouth turned into an even fiercer scowl.

"Potter, what do you think you are doing?" came the condescending voice of Harry's new "roommate".

Harry bared his teeth and growled, "What does it look like I'm doing Malfoy, I'm _trying _to get into your room. Now would you please move so I can get on solid ground?"

"Why didn't you just use magic to get up here?"

If he hadn't needed both hands to keep himself from falling, Harry would have smacked himself in the head. Why _hadn't_ he thought to use magic? Harry shook his head angrily and had to restrain himself from trying to wipe that superior smirk off Malfoy's face as he finally climbed into the paler boy's bedroom.

"Maybe I didn't feel like it Malfoy." came Harry's pathetic attempt to salvage some sort of dignity from the situation. Apparently it didn't work so well because it only caused Draco to smirk victoriously.

"Well Potter, I have to admit, you're even stupider than I thought. Did you really forget you could do magic?"

Harry scowled. That wasn't a fair accusation. After all, he had only known for a year that he could even _do_ magic. It was perfectly normal for him to forget simple facts such as his ability to fly into high places.

"Well Potter, since you obviously don't know how to handle any situation on your own, I guess _I'll _have to be the one to find a place for you to sleep." Draco said as he walked to a closet to grab a few spare blankets. Harry sighed in annoyance.

_'This is going to be a long night.'_

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Me: So there it is! In my opinion, it sucks, but at least I finally updated! You should reward me by reviewing!

Shadow: Or they can boycott you as revenge for not updating sooner. . .that's what I'd do. . .

Me: Well you're much meaner than my nice readers! They'll show you! And if they don't review, it just means I'll think of myself as a failure and wait a long time to update again just because of lack of confidence! Trust me. . .it's happened before. . . So plz plz review!


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